Journey to the known and unknown waterfall in Malaysia, revisit the god creation like a forefather before us in our own style and conclusion.

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Wednesday, 9 October 2013

KOLAM AIR KATAK FALLS

In this trip report, it would be different with other waterfalls that has been highlighted here. This time we managed to track down baby fall that popular among the Pantai Remis picnic-goers few years back. On the first recce trip I was accompanied by Asmidi and few helpful Pantai Remis kids that had visited this waterfall 2 years back but no photos has been shot since it almost reached 7 pm and the area is covered with lush canopy. I never expect that there is a waterfall just close by to Segari - Pantai Remis Road and the different from those we discovered so far in Segari Melintang Forest Reserve, all waterfall facing towards the sea which is on the west side, but this time we found waterfall that flows to the east. I think by this findings it's proven that long time ago before the Manjung District still covered by the lush green area, the series of small streams that flows from the hill range surrounding Sungai Dinding indeed the major contributor to the tributary such as Sungai Derhaka, Sungai Segari, Sungai Harding, Sungai Nyior Sebatang and many more, but nowadays this series of small streams had been converted to plantation drainage system which covered by all kinds of residue, similar to Kolam Air Katak Falls where the water flows to the roadside drainage systems that flows into polluted Sungai Batu. Maybe for those fan of high volume of water would not be entertained by this report since in the waterfall photography, high volume of water could lead to the dynamic and dramatic results, this waterfall could be regarded as "urinal discharge" as my friend called it, not much water found here but according the kids two years ago there is plenty of water and for the locals this area become a popular spot for fresh dip activities. I dedicated this report (my second trip here) to all the Pantai Remis folks for all your nostalgic and memorable moment on this waterfall.

If you headed towards Pantai Remis from Segari, you won't miss this shop houses at Taman Seri Melati, just after Kampung Tebok Yan and just few minutes from Sungai Batu fish market.

After the shop houses there is a palm oil plantation, the entrance had been blocked by locked metal bar but there is two wheel vehicles route just beside the entrance.

Go straight until you reached the end of dirt road.

at the end of dirt road you will spot this solitary tall tree, behind the tree there is a small stream that leads you to another palm oil plantation, but if you turn left you will meet with the duck farm that illegally channeling the water from the waterfall without any consent for authority and without thinking about the environmental effect of their action. From the entrance to this point, I just took 5 minutes.

The stream that flows from the waterfall, you can see the color of the water, full of fertilizer and toxic waste from the plantation activities. Of course you need to cross this body of water.

Then you will meet with another plantation, just walk towards the hill and you will meet with the waterfall, easy trekking and it won't sweat at all.

The new crime partner, Halim from Manjoi recce the bushy trails towards the waterfall. The color looks vivid, this is when you forget to switch the white balance from Shade to Auto...

First tier, low water discharged, I wonder how the cascade looks like few years back, there is fallen trees everywhere my prediction is simple, new plantation in the progress because I haven't see any of "Hutan Simpan" signboard erected at this site.

Not so monumental second tier, you can see the gravity feed PVC pipe, we counted there is 5 of them.

3rd tier, the most effected area among all tiers, added with those fallen trees and man made structures that blocked the stream with additional homemade filter systems, it worsen the existence of this stream.

You can measure the height, the "rainbow warrior" Halim posing on the fallen trees.

The fourth tier measured at 2 meters tall, we found water here, maybe due to last night rain, but there is a lot of fractured boulders so it crippled the panorama. This also where the piping system ends.

Top of the world tier, the last one that discovered today, upstream there is a flat area where the streams are so "shy" to flow. You need to crawl over the fourth tier to reach this point.

Mini ravine from fifth tier, this how the stream looks like... watch out for your step since the rock are indeed slippery, wear some adidas orang kampung to facilitate this.

One of the major reason why the river soon to be a dried riverbed, there is a series of small catchment area (weir), we counted 6 of them and those structure has been permanently cemented into the boulders, the logic is simple, the natural flows would be disturbed and the ecosystem itself in the brink of extinction.

Close up of homemade water filter, the rock looks natural, but don't be tricked, the rock is totally cemented structure that totally blocked the third tiers, the worst part at this point there is lots and lots of fallen trees that covered the riverbed.

Portrait of thousand questionnaires, first trip with Halim of Manjoi, the new outdoors foot accessories, you won't see anywhere in the mainstream trekking activities, Halim indeed promoted the new trend, hi-cut adidas orang kampung.

So that's the end of the report, legally is anyone could advise us about laws on development close to natural bodies of water and who should be blamed, any agencies would take any responsibilities, I think the district and state level government agencies or the so called greedy duck farmers, but what if he said, "why need so much undeveloped land, don't worry because the river is so small" or he taking advantage of state land act stating that any new application of land should be accompanied with existing land reclamations. So why need to erect those forest reserve signboard? nonsense....

After visiting this waterfall we met Kak Madiah whom her husband owned a boat that could assist us in visiting the Teluk Akuan Falls (I think the only waterfall that lies few meters from the sea) which could only be reached by the boat. From her information there is few more "katoq" which is streams in local dialect that could be found stretching from Pantai Remis to Teluk Senangin facing eastward, we will try to document each and every waterfall here and we glad if anybody with similar interested especially in Manjung area to join us.